


Bitter Dark

by starrylitme



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Coffee, F/F, Femslash February 2019, Post-Canon, Recovery, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 11:31:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17745134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrylitme/pseuds/starrylitme
Summary: After the events of dr1, Asahina has difficulty sleeping and relaxing. She and Kirigiri talk over coffee a few times. A short story told in almost snippets.(Written for Day 11 of Femslash February 2019: Rest Days.)





	Bitter Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of sped through this to finish it because I feel like I never would have done so otherwise so it's on the short side. This was gonna be for a trade, but I ended up sticking it to Femslash February instead.
> 
> KiriHina is a cute ship and Aoi is a very cute girl so I feel bad that I haven't really written anything with either the ship or the girl. This is more my first attempt and I'd like to try again another time. Hopefully you all like it.
> 
> It plays loose with the prompt but lol that's usually how I roll.

The first time, it had been at ungodly hours early in the morning. She hadn’t really been surprised when Asahina had dealt with nightmares and insomnia before in the school. In the shelter later turned hell.

“Oh, Kyouko-chan!”

Asahina perks up with a smile of course. Bright blue eyes wide alongside it, and a cheerful tilt. If it weren’t for Kirigiri’s keen eye, the shadows beneath Asahina’s gaze would’ve been lost to the heavy shadows cast by the lamp being the only source of light in a considerably dark room.

A saved bit of electricity. But, perhaps, Asahina hadn’t been much in the mood for bright light. That was understandable. Kirigiri felt the same way after all.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Asahina asks almost innocently. There’s tiredness that flickers in her gaze, but she has enough energy to hide it. She drops a spoonful of sugar into the mug she has set out. The bitter smell of coffee lingers in the air, but it lightens and sweetens because Asahina can’t get enough sugar and cream into the drink.

“I can make you a cup, too!” she chirps, then. “How do you prefer your coffee, Kyouko-chan?”

Kirigiri snaps to attention. She sighs softly.

“Black. Pure black.”

Asahina giggles. “I’m not surprised. Back then, you said your favorite chocolate was dark.”

_She remembers that._

She shouldn’t be surprised, considering Asahina’s sweet tooth. But what would’ve been a meaningless conversation to fill up dead space for someone else was Asahina’s genuine means to try and form a connection.

All the same, Asahina is humming as she preps the coffee maker.

“...did you have a bad dream?”

Asahina stiffens, briefly.

_Ah. Perhaps I shouldn’t have..._

“It’s actually nothing like that.”

Kirigiri perks up.

“Well...” Asahina presses the button. Coffee pours out. “The room I was in was just so...sterile. You noticed it, too, right? No color in the walls, in the carpet... Even the pillows and blankets are all grays and whites. I couldn’t stand it.”

“I see.” _So something like that perturbed her._ “This place does have an unsettling atmosphere. As well as the people here...”

“I’m definitely grateful about being rescued, but don’t you think there’s something off about them?!” Asahina exclaims, cheeks puffing. “They’re all so serious. They’re all in these dark suits and they even wear sunglasses so that you can’t see their eyes. Is it really alright to trust them?”

“We don’t have to trust them,” Kirigiri said. “But. We don’t have any option but to rely on them for now.”

“I don’t like the way they acted around Naegi,” Asahina huffed.

_I don’t like it, either._ Kirigiri couldn’t help but think. _But Naegi-kun, of course, smiled as if nothing was wrong. That’s just...his character._

“Here you are, Kyouko-chan.”

“Ah, thank you.”

She takes the mug gingerly, sipping at it as Asahina downs her own cup.

“It will be fine,” she finds herself saying. “Even if the means are dubious—I believe we will be fine.”

“Yeah. Yeah, yeah.” Asahina nods almost furiously. “But—if they try anything weird, I’m gonna beat them up.”

Kirigiri snorted at that, lips twisting into a smile.

“If a time comes where we are stuck with only one another, I’m sure we’ll manage thanks to you, Asahina-san.”

Asahina beamed. It serves to make those shadows beneath her gaze ever darker, the bags ever heavier.

“Thanks, Kyouko-chan.”

* * *

It is not long before she sees Asahina by the coffee maker again, turned away but with a stiff grip on a cup that perhaps had gotten a bit cold. Asahina, who, again, greets her with a bright smile when she notices her arrival.

“Good morning, Kyouko-chan!”

“It is adequate, I suppose,” Kirigiri replies. Asahina just laughs without a care, despite still looking exhausted.

“I’ll make a cup for you. Black, pure black, right.”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“No prob!”

Asahina gives her a thumbs up and, for what it’s worth, Asahina has become stellar at presenting cheer. She’s almost as good as Naegi, but even Naegi couldn’t put in that much effort.

Asahina is even humming as she waits for the coffee mug to fill. She’s also shifting from one foot to the other.

_Ah..._

“Done! Here you are, Kyouko-chan!”

Before Kirigiri can comment, however, Asahina is presenting her with the mug. Her smile is bright and easy.

_Despite looking exhausted._

“...thank you.” She takes the cup gingerly all the same. “You seem quite in your element.”

“Eh? You think so?” Asahina giggles, rubbing at her nape. “Actually, I worked at a lot of cafes to pay for sports gear. One time my swimsuit got torn and—weeeell that’s a long story. But it was absolute hell, Kyouko-chan! All those delicious foods that I could only serve! It was awful! But...” She plays with her ponytail. “It wasn’t bad. Sometimes I was given bread as thanks.”

“I see,” Kirigiri murmured, sipping. Asahina, likely out of self-consciousness, sips as well. And then, she blanches. Kirigiri’s expression doesn’t change, for what it’s worth. “Cold?”

“...heheh... Maybe a little...”

Admirably, she finishes it anyway.

“Oh, by the way, Kyouko-chan, let me talk to you about bread...!”

Just like that, Asahina broke into a long-winded ramble, and Kirigiri listened politely, nodding along when appropriate. She hoped that whatever was bothering Asahina would lighten up the more Asahina went at length about these significant, mundane topics.

* * *

“Hey, let me help.”

“Oh, uh, thank you... Asahina-san.”

“It’s no prob.”

Kirigiri perks up as she watches the scene of Asahina grinning at one of the many people in suits. This one in particular, however, is scrawny and uncertain, flustered by Asahina’s attentions. They have not yet managed quite the level of calm as their colleagues. This is likely why Asahina approaches them with such ease and chats them up.

“I really am thankful for all the Future Foundation has been doing,” she says. “So I wanna help in whatever way I can.”

There’s a twitch in her smile—but Kirigiri already knows how efficient a liar Asahina is.

“You don’t have to...” The suit hesitates. “You kids have already been through a lot, so...”

“We’re not kids,” Asahina chirps, and yet they flinch anyway. “Not anymore. Right?”

“I...suppose... Um... Y-You should probably talk to the branch leaders, though...”

“Alright.” There’s not a twitch this time. “Then I will. Thanks.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing...”

Finally, Asahina notices her staring. While keeping one arm lifting the materials, she gives a wave. Kirigiri merely waves in return.

_...the branch leaders, huh._

* * *

“They’re going to put me in charge of delivering food to other survivors,” Asahina tells her later. “So I won’t be able to see anyone else for a while. Tell Naegi that I’ll miss him, alright?” She grins. “Tell Hagakure not to cause trouble, wish Touko-chan luck, and poke out Togami’s eyes if he’s being a dick.”

“...very well.”

They are still recovering, but of course Asahina is rushing ahead anyway.

“We will likely take up tasks as well, but...” Kirigiri trails off. “We are not quite as pushy as you are, Asahina-san.”

“Whaaat? I’ve seen you guys be plenty pushy,” Asahina laughs. “Even Naegi has quite the backbone under the right circumstances. You really should have more confidence in everyone, Kyouko-chan.”

“It is not that,” Kirigiri said. “Asahina-san... You are not the kind of person who rests easy, are you?”

Asahina keeps on smiling, even as her lips twist just the slightest bit.

Kirigiri touches her cheek carefully.

“If you do leave, can you at least promise that you won’t overwork yourself, Asahina-san? Can you try to take rest days?”

Asahina holds her hand in return, and she squeezes it hard. Thankfully, the nerves there are long-dead, so Kirigiri cannot feel it. She can, however, see the veins in Asahina’s grip, and how it trembles. Asahina’s smile, too, is wavering.

“I guess I can try,” Asahina says brightly, all the same. She makes a comically serious face. “But, you too, Kyouko-chan. Don’t pick up the slack when the others fall back. Especially Hagakure. Kick his ass if he drags his feet.”

_...that is..._

“If we are supporting one another, we will be fine,” Kirigiri said. “But now I worry more for you, Asahina-san, since you will be separated from us.”

“I... Y-Yeah...” Asahina shakily nodded. “Yeah, that’s true, but—I’m a tough cookie.” She winks. “I can definitely manage. And I’ll write letters. Tons of them. I’ll keep y’all in the know. So try not to miss me too hard!”

Kirigiri gives a small smile in return, but Asahina still tightly grips her hand.

“...actually...”

Kirigiri’s smile drops when Asahina’s face buries itself in her shoulder.

“A-Actually...”

Kirigiri’s lips part as Asahina begins to tremble against her.

“I’ve been thinking—a lot, lately—about the other people outside. The other people in need of rescue. And I get so sad and so sick that I just can’t relax at all. And then... I-I think about...how the Future Foundation _still_ has no idea where our families are... Where are my parents? Where’s Yuta? I don’t know—we still just _don’t_ _know_.” Her breathing hitches in a way that sounds painful. “Oh, _god_ , what if they’re dead already? What if they’re starving and sick? W-What if—!”

“Shhhhh...”

It’s funny. While she’s seen reassurances like this before, actually performing it is—strange. She runs her fingers through Asahina’s hair, that springy ponytail she always has up, and it doesn’t feel quite right. She can feel the hammering of Asahina’s heart and the warmth of her body, and it’s all very strange. Asahina has embraced her before, but unsurprisingly, it was nothing quite like this.

“Shhh, shhh...” Even the shushing is a little awkward, not the most comforting even to her own ears. She almost feels dirty from how blatantly inexperienced and inadequate she is to provide the comfort Asahina clearly needs. “Asahina-san...”

Asahina lets go of her hand to wrap her arms firmly around her midsection. Asahina squeezes and Kirigiri can definitely feel her spine protest just a little. But then, Asahina chokes out a laugh, and Kirigiri also feels her heart swell at the sound.

“Kyouko-chan... I love you, you know that? I love you lots.” Quieter, Asahina adds. “I love all of you so much... Well... Most of you.”

“I...care about you deeply as well,” Kirigiri stiffly replies, feeling her face warm. “We are friends, after all. We have been through quite a bit together, so...”

_So it is frustrating that I cannot do more for you than I already have._

Biting her lip, Kirigiri more formally returns the hug, squeezing in return. She hopes Asahina can feel it, even if she definitely won’t be hurt by it.

“Yeah, we have.” Asahina nuzzles her shoulder. “It’s thanks to you that we even survived as far as we did. You, Naegi... Even the others helped sometimes...” A small, almost pained chuckle. “I feel like I didn’t do much.”

“You do not give yourself enough credit, Asahina-san.” _Without your bright and smiling face—would we have really come out on top as strongly?_ “You do a lot, even if you do not always realize it.”

“I’ll still do more,” Asahina mumbled.

“...” Kirigiri sighed and patted her head a couple of times. “Just don’t overdo it. Take rest days. All that. Can you promise that much, at least? Can you? Asahina-san?”

There’s a drawn out silence afterwards, and vaguely, she can tell that Asahina is idly playing with her hair, namely the braid.

“Kyouko-chan,” she hums. “You’re so formal with me that it’s a little embarrassing. Maybe call me Aoi? Even Hina would be fine, I think.”

“A... Hina.” Kirigiri swallowed. “Very well. But you did not answer my question, Hina.”

“I will.” Asahina pulls back to give her a grin. “Promise. If I break it, I’ll swallow a thousand needles!” She finally pulls away completely, and the world is just a little colder as a result. “Continue taking care of everyone for me, alright?”

“I... Yes, of course.” She nodded mutely. “Of course... Hina.”

With another cheeky grin, Asahina waved her off before skipping away, ponytail bouncing and swaying with every spring in her step.

_Relax, my heart,_ Kirigiri thought coldly as she watched her go. _Relax._

When she later had coffee again the following morning, the taste was so bitter that she had to add a little bit of cream. It would be a while before anyone else awoke, so she sipped her drink in pondering silence, looking at the ceiling.


End file.
